Interacting many-body quantum systems are at the heart of contemporary research in quantum physics. The understanding of such systems is crucial to the development of condensed-matter physics. Many research eorts aim at building a "quantum simulator": a platform which allows to model a hard- to-access quantum system with a more controllable one. Ensembles of Rydberg atoms, thanks to their strong dipolar interactions, make for an excellent system to study many-body quantum physics. I will present a study of the excitation of a dense cloud of interacting Rydberg atoms. This study was conducted on an experimental setup mixing on-chip cold atoms techniques with Rydberg atoms manipulation techniques. The result of this study leads to make a full- edged proposal for the re- alisation of a quantum simulator, based on trapped circular Rydberg atoms. The proposed simulator is particularly promising due to its exibility and to the long simulation times for which it would allow. Finally, I will give a detailed description of the rst experimental step to- wards building such a simulator: the on-chip excitation of circular Rydberg atoms.


Seminar, November 27, 2017, 12:00. Seminar Room

Hosted by Prof. Leticia Tarruell